Refrigerant-holding attachment for a container



J. B. CAIN 3,282,068

REFRIGERANT-HOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR A CONTAINER Nov. 1, 1966 Filed Aug. 6, 1965 //VVE/VTOR c/HMES B. CA/N BY W ATTORNEY nited States Patent 3,282,668 REFRlGERANT-HULDHNG ATTACHMENT Fill. A CUNTAlNER James B. Cain, 17ft) Killarney Lane, Northbroolr, Ill. Filed Aug. 6, 1965, Ser. No. 477,825 1 Qlaim. (Cl. 62-457) The improved refrigerant attachment comprising the present invention has been designed for use primarily as a picnic or patio item for the cooling of canned beverages such, for example, as beer or soft drinks which are generally marketed in hermetically sealed cylindrical metal containers, commonly referred to as cans. The invention, however, is capable of other uses and a refrigerant attachment embodying the principles of the present invention may, if desired, with or without modification as required, be employed for cooling or refrigerating liquids which are marketed in generally cylindrical glass bottles or the like. Irrespective, however, of the particular use to which the invention may be put, the essential features thereof are at all times preserved.

It is among the principal objects of the present invention to provide a refrigerant holding attachment which may be easily and quickly applied to a beverage container such as a cylindrical beer or soft drink can and which, when applied to the container, makes intimate face-toface contact with an approximately 180 extent of the cylindrical surface of the container so that a relatively large heat-exchange area between the attachment and the container is attained.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a refrigerant holding attachment which, when in position on a cylindrical container, becomes a portable adjunct to such container so that it may be handled with the container, even to the point of permitting normal opening or puncturing of the container and dispensing of the contents of the container, either by pouring the same into a glass or by drinking directly from the container with theattachment in position thereon.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an attachment which is of flexible bag-like design and in which the means for attaching the same to the container is so designed that it serves to draw the attachment about the cylindrical wall of the container in wrap-around fashion, thereby insuring intimate face-to-face heat ex- A change relationship as heretofore set forth.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a refrigerant holding attachment which, in its free state and when devoid of a mass of refrigerant, may assume 3,ZZ,%8 Patented Nov. l, 1966 ice which the body portion thereof may conveniently be formed from a single strip or sheet of flat flexible sheet material, thereby contributing to low cost of manufacture; one which is rugged and durable and, therefore, will withstand rough usage; one which is capable of repeated reuse on successive containers; one in which there is no possibility of contact between the contained refrigerant and the beverage or liquid in the container to which it is applied; one which is attractive in its appearance and pleasing in its design; and one which, otherwise, is well adapted to perform the services required of it, are further desirable features which have been borne in mind in the production and development of the present invention.

Other objects and advantages of the invention, not at this time enumerated, will readily suggest themselves as the following description ensues.

In the accompanying single sheet of drawings forming a part of this specification, one illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a cylindrical container or can showing the improved refrigerant holding attachment operatively and removably installed thereon and filled with a refrigerant;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken centrally through the structure of FIG. 1 and on the line 2-2 thereof;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the structure shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the refrigerant holding attachment in its free unfilled state.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and in particular to FIG. 4, a refrigerant holding attachment constructed according to the principles of the present invention is shown in its free state and designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 10. The attachment is in the form of a flexible bag or pouch which is formed from a flat rectangular sheet or blank of a suitable waterproof material and is folded upon itself and then heat-sealed or otherwise sealed along its side and bottom edges as indicated by the three seam lines a, b and 0, thus providing front and rear walls 11 and 12. The upper edge, due to the manner of folding, is a folded edge.

Located at a region adjacent to the upper edge of the folded structure or bag is a plastic Zipper assembly 13 a flat rectangular configuration so that it consumes very little space, thereby enabling a large number of the attachments to be stacked for shipping or storage purposes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a refrigerant holding attachment which is formed of a waterproof material and embodies a normally sealed filling opening for the refrigerant to the end that when the container to which the attachment is applied is tilted, inverted or otherwise caused to deviate from its normal vertical position, the refrigerant or its residue will not be spilled from the attachment.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a refrigerant holding attachment which is automatically adjustable to containers of varying diameters and, by the mere expedient of applying the attachment to the container in the intended manner, causes the attachment to assume a shape wherein a relatively large area thereof is complemental to the shape of the container to which it is applied, thus insuring the aforementioned face-toface heat exchange contact.

The provision of a refrigerant holding attachment which is designed for use with a cylindrical container and in of conventional construction, and it includes upper and lower interlocking zipper edges 14 and 15, and, in addition, a slidable fastener 16 which closes an elongated transversely extending filling opening in the form of a slit 17 that extends from a point adjacent one side edge of the structure to the other side edge thereof.

Two elastic (rubber) attachment straps 18 and 19 have their ends secured to the side edge regions of the bag in any suitable manner and, in combination with the rear wall, establish respective closed loops which are adapted to encircle a can or other cylindrical container for attachment purposes as will be described presently. The strap 18 is secured to the bag at approximately the level of the Zipper assembly 13, while the strap 19 is secured to the bag adjacent to the lower edge thereof.

Various waterproof sheet materials are suitable for construction of the bag and among these are certain plastic materials such as polypropylene. The use of a fabric which has been treated with a rubber or other elastomeric composition to render it waterproof also is contemplated. Where a plastic material is employed, the seams a, b and c may be formed by heat-sealing as heretofore indicated. Where a rubberized or similar fabric is utilized, the seams may be either heat-sealed or stitched and subsequently made waterproof in any desired manner. Similarly, the ends of the elastic straps l8 and 19 may be secured to the bag by heat welding or stitching. Irrespective, however, of the particular material which is selected for formation of the bag or the manner in which the bag is fashioned and assembled, the essential features of the invention remain substantially the same.

In applying the refrigerant holding attachment 10 to a container such as the can of FIGS. 1 to 3, inclusive, the bag is first partially filled with a suitable refrigerant such as crushed or otherwise fragmented ice, or ice cubes, the refrigerant being introduced into the bag through the slit 17 constituting the filling opening and, thereafter, the zipper assembly 13 is closed. The two elastic straps 18 and 19 are then caused to encircle the can 20 in the manner illustrated in the drawings and the elasticity of the straps will pull the rear wall 12 of the bag, and portions of the front wall 11 (depending upon the quantity of refrigerant contained within the bag) into coextensive face-to-face contact with a large area of the cylindrical wall of the can 20. The front Wall 11 of the bag will bulge outwardly away from the container 20 as clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, so that in transverse crosssection, the bag will assume a generally crescent or halfmoon shape.

The intimacy of face-to-face contact between the rear wall 12 and the side wall of the can 20 will depend initially upon the character of the refrigerant within the bag. In the case of relatively large dimensioned ice cubes, there may be air pockets between the rear wall of the bag and the side wall of the can but, as melting of the ice takes place and the liquid content of the bag increases, more intimate contact will gradually take place.

With the refrigerant holding attach'ment 10 in position on the container as described above, the portability of the container is not impaired. A number of the containers having attachments 10 applied to them may be stored conveniently in a picnic bag or basket and transported to their destination without materially reducing storage space and without danger of spilling the refrigerant in the event that one or more of the containers becomes turned on its side or inverted. Even when the refrigerant, in the case of ice cubes or otherwise fragmented ice becomes completely liquified, there will be no danger of refrigerant leakage due to the complete seal that is offered by the plastic zipper assembly 13.

The maneuverability of the thus refrigerated container is not impaired inasmuch as the lid of the container (in the case of a can) remains accessible for puncturing in the usual manner for complete removal thereof, or for any other such can-opening treatment as may be desired. Drinking of the liquid directly from the rim of the can may be resorted to if desired without removing the refrigerant attachment. A feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the user may consume the contents of the container at his discretion, sipping from the container from time to time and putting the thus partially emptied container aside for further consumption of its contents.

The invention is not necessarily limited to use in connection with a container of the sealed can type inasmuch as the same is readily applicable to other forms of containers, such as bottles, jars, and food receptacles which have shapes other than cylindrical. In each instance, when the elastic strips 18 and 19 are caused partially to encircle the container, the rear wall 12 of the bag, and possibly portions of the front wall 11, will automatically assume a contour commensurate with the adjacent portion of the container side wall.

The invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification as various changes in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, only insofar as the invention has particularly been pointed out in the accompanying claim is the same to be limited.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A refrigerant holding attachment adapted to be applied to a food container and comprising a generally rectangular fiat expansible flexible bag-like structure defining, when expanded, an internal chamber designed for reception therein of a multiplicity of pieces of solid refrigerant, said structure being formed of flexible waterproof sheet material and including coextensive rectangular front and rear walls which, when the structure is devoid of refrigerant, lie in coextensive face-to-face contact and which, when the structure contains such refrigerant defines said internal chamber for the refrigerant, said front wall being formed with an elongated slot therein defining a filling opening for introduction of the refrigerant into the structure, said slot extending substantially horizontally of the front wall from a point adjacent one side edge thereof to a point adjacent the other side edge and with o the slot being disposed near the upper edge of the front wall, a plastic Zipper assembly operatively secured in position over said filling opening for sealingly closing the same, and a pair of vertically spaced elastic straps each of which has its opposite ends secured to said front wall at widely spaced points near the side edges of the rectangular structure, said straps in combination with said rear wall, defining closed loops adapted to encircle the cylindrical wall of a cylindrical container near the upper and lower ends thereof respectively so as to draw said rear wall into substantially coextensive face-to-face contact with a limited area of said cylindrical container wall.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,154,933 4/1939 Hadsell 62-530 2,288,745 7/1942 Sammis 62-384 X 2,730,151 1/1956 Smith 62457 X FOREIGN PATENTS 879,651 6/1953 Germany.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner. MEYER PERLIN, Examiner. W. E. WAYNER, Assistant Examiner. 

